In the past, the construction industry has been slow to adopt new technology. There has been a rapid expansion of technologies, often referred to as Industry 4.0, to aid in the use of automation. One challenge paralleling these new technologies is implementing how a robot interprets design information, specifically information from a Building Information Model (BIM). This paper presents a method for identifying and transforming information from BIM to support robotic material placement on the construction site. This research will include a review of what information can be directly extracted from the model and what must be supplemented to the model for the robot to perform defined tasks within a construction site. The construction sites’ dynamic nature poses multiple challenges that must be addressed for the information extracted from a model to be used by a robot in daily construction operations. This research also identifies barriers and limitations based upon current practice, such as different levels of development or model content as well as needed precision within the information provided for a mobile robot to complete a defined task.
Computer Vision-Based Geometry Mapping and Matching of Building Elements for Construction Robotic Applications
Robotic automation of construction tasks is a growing area of research. For robots to successfully operate in a construction environment, sensing technology must be developed which allows for accurate detection of site geometry in a wide range of conditions. Much of the existing body of research on computer vision systems for construction automation focuses on pick-and-place operations such as stacking blocks or placing masonry elements. Very little research has focused on framing and related tasks. The research presented here aims to address this gap by designing and implementing computer vision algorithms for detection and measurement of building framing elements and testing those algorithms using realistic framing structures. These algorithms allow for a stationary RGB-D camera to accurately detect, identify, and measure the geometry of framing elements in a construction environment and match the detected geometry to provided building information modeling (BIM) data. The algorithms reduce identified framing elements to a simplified 3D geometric model, which allows for robust and accurate measurement and comparison with BIM data. This data can then be used to direct operations of construction robotic systems or other machines/equipment. The proposed algorithms were tested in a laboratory setting using an Intel RealSense D455 RGB-D camera, and initial more »
- Award ID(s):
- 1827733
- Publication Date:
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10324509
- Journal Name:
- Construction Research Congress 2022
- Page Range or eLocation-ID:
- 541 to 549
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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The adoption of robotics into the construction industry has been much slower than in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Current shortfalls in skilled labor, productivity trends, and ongoing safety challenges point to the need for a drastic shift toward the adoption of robotics as a component of a shift toward industrialized construction. Despite this lag, the interest and development of robotic technology targeting construction has grown in recent years, ranging from the use of drones for tracking to use in offsite fabrication. However, the integration into fundamental site construction requires reconsideration of the information technology infrastructure needed to support detailed task execution information needs in the transition from craft labor to robotic operations. This research presents the identification and mapping of the IT System Architecture required to support BIM to Robotic Construction. Combining elements of the Building Information Modeling architecture and information exchanges with the needed construction task decomposition is required. These elements are mapped to the robotic system elements required for mobile robotic operations. In addition to defining the functions and integration required to support the BIM to Robotic Construction Workflow, shortcomings in existing infrastructure, notably regarding the ability to decompose construction fabrication and assembly means and methods are defined.
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Publisher's Version of Record
- https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483961.057
